The present invention relates generally to ground sensors, and more particularly to an improved ground sensor assembly which is aerially deployable to a precise ground location through the use of its radially extending stabilizers to position a plurality of longitudinally stacked sensor modules thereat.
The use of ground sensors for conducting surveillance activities have been known for years. These sensors are typically designed to perform specific functions such as gathering intelligence data in regards to magnetic field activities, seismic activities or acoustic activities of a particular ground location. The ground sensors would relay the gathered data back to the field command unit for analysis and use in various field operations.
In the past, the ground sensors generally required human presence at the ground location to be surveyed for their operations. However, they have evolved over the years to operate without the need for any human interaction at such ground location. Once positioned at the targeted ground location, the ground sensors are automatically set up to monitor therearound and collect field data for relay of the same to the command unit.
Although the ground sensors may be delivered to the targeted ground location through various means, they are typically deployed from the air from an aircraft, for example, to the ground location. Such means of delivery is not only efficient but especially useful when the ground location to be targeted and surveyed is situated within an enemy or unfriendly territory.
Pinpoint accuracy of their placement is a must given that the desired peripheral surveillance of the ground location may be compromised if the ground sensors become displaced to even the slightest degree. However, by the nature of their design, many ground sensors commonly become altered in direction during their aerial deployment toward the targeted ground location. In this regard, optimal peripheral surveillance were oftentimes not achieved which led to unsought compromises in the overall field operation.
Furthermore, the aerially-deployable ground sensors are essentially designed and built to conduct a specific mission of gathering either magnetic field, seismic or acoustic data. These ground sensors are generally custom made for one particular surveillance activity and are not typically interchangeable with any other types of surveillance activity.
As such, multiple ground sensors must be manufactured in order to conduct various forms of surveillance activities. In this respect, the financial costs and manufacturing time associated with constructing different versions of the narrowly-focused ground sensor may become burdensome and extensive.
Thus, there has long been a need in the industry, and in the aerospace industry in particular, for a ground sensor which is designed to be unalterable in direction during its aerial deployment towards a precise ground target. In addition, there is a need for a ground sensor which is adapted to perform various forms of surveillance activities as opposed to one specific one so as to eliminate the need for multiple versions of the same therefor.
The present invention addresses and overcomes the above-described deficiencies by providing a ground sensor assembly which utilizes a plurality of radially extending stabilizers for stabilization during its aerial deployment to a precise ground location. Further to such innovative design feature, the ground sensor assembly of the present invention includes a plurality of sensor modules therewithin which can be selectively chosen and interlocked to each other in a longitudinal stack formation depending upon the particular surveillance activity or activities at hand. In this respect, not only can the ground sensor assembly of the present invention be accurately deployed, but it also eliminates the need to build and resort to multiple ground sensors for performing various forms of surveillance activities.